Light for the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle

ABSTRACT

An interior lamp is provided for illuminating an interior of a vehicle having a glass surface, particularly a glass roof. At least one such interior lamp is integrated in the laminated glass of the glass surface.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to an interior lamp for transport devices, suchas an aircraft or a motor vehicle.

An interior lamp of this type for a motor vehicle is disclosed inEuropean Patent Document EP 1 344 684 A1. This interior lamp, which isfor motor vehicles, is equipped with a lens made of glass or plasticwhich covers the lamp or lamps. On its surface, this lens has opticalelements for scattering or deflection of the emitted light. Preferably,the interior lamp is to be used as a reading light. At least a portionof the optical elements provided on the lens have a first central,non-diffusely scattering area and a second, diffusely scattering areacompletely or partially surrounding this first area. This specialstructure in the edge area of the optical elements provided on the lensreduces the glare effect of the interior lamp or of the reading lightgenerated by the latter. The edge areas of the optical elements, whichprimarily are not intended for the light distribution, by means of theirdiffusely scattering surface structure, reduce the glare for the vehicleoccupants or the observers.

This type of interior lamp has the disadvantage that it is generallyarranged separately from a glass roof. The glass surface or the glassroof and the interior lamp therefore require space. Particularly with aglass roof, the space where the interior lamp is normally situated isoccupied by the glass roof. This has the result that the interior lamphas to be arranged at a less suitable location. This results in a lessoptimal illumination of the vehicle interior.

It is therefore an object of the invention to create a construction ofthe interior lamp which can easily be integrated into a glass surfaceand therefore requires no additional space.

Although a glass surface is present, the invention therefore endeavorsto arrange the interior lamp at its customary location withoutinterfering with the function of the glass roof. In addition, as aresult of the arrangement of the interior lamp, the glass surface shouldremain largely usable as a glass surface.

The interior lamp is advantageously installed directly into the glassroof, so that, when the light source is switched off, only a small frameseparating the glass of the lens of the interior lamp from the glasspane of the glass roof will be visible. The glass of the interior lampis as transparent with respect to light as the normal glass of the glassroof. The function of the glass roof is not limited by the arrangementof the interior lamp in the glass roof. The switching-on of the interiorlamp, for example, when it is dark, causes the light output from theglass. As a result, the entire output surface is used as a lamp. Thisresults in a saving of space for the interior lamp, because the interiorlamp is integrated in the space of the already existing glass roof.

The invention will be explained in detail by way of a description of thefigures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of an interior lamp in the glassroof;

FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of the individual components of theinterior lamp in the glass roof;

FIG. 3 is a view of the output element; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the transparent output element.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of an interior lamp in the glassroof 2 of a motor vehicle. The interior lamp, with one central light 1and two “down” lights 3, is arranged in recesses in the glass of theglass roof 2. The interior lamp 1, 3 has a housing 4, which has aring-shaped printed-circuit board 5 with light-emitting diodes 6 and thepertaining electronic system. The lamp also has a ring-shaped receivingslot for the printed-circuit board 5 in the housing 4 and an outputelement 7, which is arranged inside the housing 4 and preferablycorresponds to a glass pane. The supply and control of theprinted-circuit board 5 takes place by way of leads 8, which areintegrated in the glass, preferably a laminated glass, of the glass roof2, similar to a heatable rear window pane. The leads 8 extend from theglass frame 9 to the housing 4 into which the printed-circuit board 5and the output element 7 are inserted.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the light-emitting diodes 6 arranged on theprinted-circuit board 5 emit their light laterally into the outputelement 7 which preferably is a transparent pane made of glass orplastic. Openings 10, which are each assigned to a light emitting diode6, are arranged in the housing 4. The light of the light-emitting diode6 is coupled into the output element 7 through these openings 10. Thelight is guided through the output element 7 and, at its surfacepointing to the vehicle interior, leaves the output element 7 into thevehicle interior.

Different interior lamps 1, 3 are arranged in the glass roof 2, which,depending on the size and the emitting light intensity, are used as theinterior lamp 1 or as down lights 3, that is, reading lights. Theinterior lamp 1 with the larger output element 7 is used as the centrallight, while the interior lamps 3 with the smaller output element areused as reading lamps. The supply and control leads 8 are guided fromthe edge of the glass roof 2 in the laminated glass to the housing 4 ofthe interior lamps 1. These supply and control leads are electric lineswhich, in the laminated glass, lead to the housing 4 of the interiorlamp 1 and thus to the printed-circuit board 5 with the light-emittingdiodes 6 arranged thereon.

The printed-circuit board 5 is in each case constructed as a flat ringwhich can be inserted into a groove of the housing 4 and is arrangedaround the edge of the output element 7. The printed-circuit board 5 isarranged in the housing 4 in such a manner that the ring is completelycovered by a portion of the housing 4. At certain points, the housing 4has openings 10 which are assigned to the individual light-emittingdiodes 6. The light of the light-emitting diodes 6 can pass throughthese openings 10 and can be coupled into the glass pane 7. As a resultof the number of the light-emitting diodes 6 and of the size of theglass pane 7, the function of the interior lamp 1 can be differentiatedwith respect to the pure interior lamp 1, the reading lamp or lamps 3,the ambient light function, make-up illumination, a down light or, forexample, a sleep light. As a further development, the interior lamp 1, 3can be integrated between an interior pane and an upper exterior pane.These panes are primarily used for the stabilization but also for theprotection of the components arranged in-between. The upper exteriorpane is provided as a roof of a vehicle and consists of a hard glass,such as a mineral glass, so that the glass roof 2 is protected whenharder objects impact on the glass roof 2 from above. The interior panemay also be made of mineral glass. The three glass panes are connectedto form a laminated glass pane. So that the glass composite does notform an extreme buildup, the housings 4, which form a portion of theinterior lamp 1, 3, are very flat. The geometry of the housings 4 withthe output elements 7 situated therein will differ and may, for example,have a square, rectangular, round, oval, or any other shape. Thehousings 4 also have a lid so that the printed-circuit boards 5 with thevarious components situated therein will no longer be visible. Thehousings 4 with the output elements 7 do not have to be flat, and mayalso be adapted to the roof contour.

FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of the individual components of theinterior lamp 1, 3 in the glass roof 2. The interior lamp 1, 3 has ahousing 4, into which a printed-circuit board 5 can be inserted, whichhas an electronic system and the light-emitting diodes 6, and into whichan output element 7 can be inserted as an illuminant. The housing 4 hasa groove into which the printed-circuit board 5 with the light-emittingdiode 6 and the electronic system can be invisibly inserted. Theprinted-circuit board 5 can be inserted as a ring into the groove 13provided for this purpose, the light-emitting diodes 6 being arranged onthe printed-circuit board on the interior side toward the glass. Thehousing 4 then has openings 10 for the coupling of the light of thelight-emitting diodes 6 into the output element 7, which openings 10 areassigned to a light-emitting diode 6 arranged on the printed circuitboard 5. The output element 7 corresponds to a glass pane which isarranged in another groove 14 of the housing 4. This entire componentwill then be arranged between two glass panes and joined to form thelaminated glass. The electric lines 8 for supplying the printed-circuitboard 5 are guided through this composite glass from the roof frame tothe housing 4.

The glass roof 2 has the contour of the roof which, although planar asshown, may also be curved. In this case, the flat housing 4 with theoutput element 7 is adapted to the roof contour. In the case of a curvedglass roof 2, the glass pane of the output element 7 is curved, so thata uniform surface of the glass roof 2 is formed which has no corners andedges. The two interior and exterior panes forming the laminated glassare then curved, correspondingly forming the shape of the glass roof 2.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the output element 7 preferably has an ovalconstruction, having light output grooves constructed in the surface.The light output grooves 11 have a V-shaped structure so that the lightoutput takes place on the surface in the direction of the vehicleinterior.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, the surface of the output element 7 is suchthat the light remains caught therein by total reflection and exits fromthe output element 7 only at the light output grooves 11.

However, the housing may also have a different arbitrary shape and mayhave a square, rectangular or round construction. In the case of asquare shape, the interior lamp 1 has a square output element 7 and asquare illuminant.

1. An interior lamp device according to claim for a transport device,comprising: laminated glass with a transparent glass surface, and atleast one lamp received in at least one opening defined in an area ofthe laminated glass with the glass surface for illuminating an interiorof the transport device, wherein the interior lamp has a printed-circuitboard with light-emitting diodes and an associated electronic system,wherein the light-emitting diode, for a lighting function, is coupledinto a light output, panel, and wherein the light output panel is aglass pane with an edge area into which the light of the light-emittingdiode is coupled.
 2. The interior lamp device according to claim 1,wherein the interior lamp has a housing into which the printed-circuitboard and the light output panel are inserted.
 3. The interior lampdevice according to claim 2, wherein the housing has a groove for theprinted-circuit board and a groove for the light output panel, andwherein openings are provided in the housing such that light of thelight-emitting diodes can be coupled into the light output panel.
 4. Theinterior lamp according to claim 3, wherein the housing is a flathousing that, with the light output panel, is shaped to a contour of theroof.
 5. The interior lamp according to claim 2, wherein the housing isa flat housing that, with the light output panel, is shaped to a contourof the roof.
 6. The interior lamp according to claim 2, furthercomprising supply and control lines that extend from an edge of thelaminated glass to the housing.
 7. The interior lamp according to claim2, wherein the housing and the light output panel have square,rectangular, round, or oval geometrical shapes.
 8. The interior lampaccording to claim 3, further comprising supply and control lines thatextend from an edge of the laminated glass to the housing.
 9. Theinterior lamp according to claim 5, further comprising supply andcontrol lines that extend from an edge of the laminated glass to thehousing.
 10. The interior lamp according to claim 1, wherein the housingand the light output panel have square, rectangular, round, or ovalgeometrical shapes.